An Unplanned Discovery
In 1913, a farmer striking dense stone while ploughing a field in Tarxien, Malta, led to one of the most significant archaeological discoveries on the island. Excavations led by Sir Themistocles Zammit between 1915 and 1919 revealed a complex of four megalithic temples. The site, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, comprises structures built between 3600 and 2500 BCE. These temples represent the high point of Malta's temple-building culture, a period known as the Tarxien Phase (3150-2500 BCE).
The temple builders used local globigerina limestone, a relatively soft stone that is easier to work when first quarried. This allowed for an unexpected level of artistic detail. The South Temple, in particular, contains a collection of prehistoric art. Its walls and altars feature spiral motifs and detailed low-relief carvings of domesticated animals, including goats, bulls, rams, and a sow with piglets. The realism of these sculptures provided new evidence of the observational skills and artistic skill of Neolithic societies. The discovery of stone spheres on site suggests a possible method for transporting the massive limestone blocks, some weighing up to 20 tons, without the use of the wheel.
